Stress Level Reduction through the Management of Emotions in Childhood Development

Mary Yu
1/15/16

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When working with children, it is often expected that they would whine and create
conflict when situations turn out differently from what they had in mind. This reaction is only
intensified in high stress settings such as classrooms or doctors offices. Recently at
KinderMender Pediatric Urgent Care Center, a child stood, disgruntled and uncooperative, when
he was asked to step on the weight scale. After much persuasion, the mother eventually picked
up the crying child, desperately trying to calm him down, and stepped onto the scale so their
combined weight could be taken. Then she stepped on alone and her weight was subtracted from
the total. He thrashed and screamed when doctors walked near and ultimately needed to be sent
home. Even though the boy suffered the same symptoms and underwent the same procedures as
the tens of other children who had also visited the clinic, his behavior made him stand out. His
emotional response to stress and anxiety separated him from the other children who were sitting
quietly in the waiting room.
Before the onset of language development, infants and toddlers rely on their use of emotions and
reactions caused by unexpected situations for communication. As a child grows, he begins to
recognize the effectiveness of words in symbolizing feelings, but the unadulterated emotional
responses never truly disappear. Those who are more adept at controlling emotions by redirecting
them positively, thus for a more beneficial social interaction, have shown to cope better with
stress (Ciarocchi 207). Historically, stress has been referred to as the physical load weighing
down a structure but, later in World War II, was altered to denote an element that led to
neurological breakdowns (Lazarus 2). Today, stress is caused by everyday occurrences from
school life to social interactions and has been considered by many to possess a purely
psychological connotation. It has been defined as any interruption of homeostasis, whether it be
internally (due to hormonal imbalance) or externally (due to behavioral disruption) (Miller 5). As
children grow, special attention should be directed to stress level regulation because stress is

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directly related to emotional control, produces both psychological and pathological
consequences, and can be mediated at a young age through the management of emotions.
Regulation of stress can be consciously controlled through careful consideration and
eventual redirection of emotions. As children grow, they begin to develop a firm grasp on their
experience, control, and expression of emotion, particularly in emotionally arousing situations
through what is known as emotional-regulation skills (Taylor 1366). Emotional-regulation skills
are established in early childhood and are essential in assessing the extremity of a situation.
By developing these skills, the individual will be able to control not only his expressive reactions
but also the frequency of stress-related feedback. As emotions in children are regulated, the
stress-regulatory systems in developing children are then stabilized for a lifetime. These
responses of emotional expression are a result of the bodys two stress-regulatory systems: the
first is the sympathetic nervous system, which dictates the bodys fight or flight response, and the
other is the HPA axis or hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical axis, which releases
corticosteroids. Corticosteroids, like cortisol, regulates and reduces short-term stress induced
consequences (1367). Although both systems are activated when the body is forced under
unpredictable circumstances, the interpretation of threat is dependent solely on the individuals
perception. Whether the person has already been harmed, is anticipating harm, or currently being
harmed, his emotional response will be directly related only to his perspective of the level of
threat he is under. Therefore, it is understandable that people, especially children who have yet to
understand the degree of danger, react differently; after all, emotions are regulated differently
between various individuals even in the same situation. Despite some differences between
individuals, it is still easy to see the relationship between the management of emotions and the
eventual maintenance of stress.

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Stress has been shown to have both psychological and pathological consequences during
childhood development. Stress disrupts homeostasis; an increased amount of disruptions can lead
to an allostatic load, which forces the body to continuously strive to meet these irregular needs.
Over periods of time, this abnormal pressure to exert itself leaves the body susceptible to disease
and illness (Miller 5). One main response to stress is the release of a stress-alleviating steroid
called cortisol. An excess of cortisol has been linked with abnormal fat distribution and obesity;
it is believed that cortisol [skews] fat storage toward abdominal rather than subcutaneous
stores and plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular disease (7). Although neither
consequence is immediate, continuous buildup of stress and stress-induced reactions leaves an
individual vulnerable to its effects. Unsurprisingly, high levels of stress is related to both
declining mental and physical health. Stress is commonly credited with psychological
consequences such as depression and low self-esteem, two common conditions which eventually
result from high stress levels. In his research paper detailing psychological effects of stress,
Delongis notes that low self-esteem directly correlates with high stress levels and in turn
illnesses (491). Stress also cause immediate psychological damage in the form of mood
disturbances that are apparent through daily interactions (487). Although occasional mood
disturbances are no cause for serious concern, accumulation of negative disposition leads to a
change and negative alteration in personality and could possibly result in depression or
destructive temperament. Therefore, it is necessary that a child begins to monitor his stress levels
at a young age in order to avoid health issues that could otherwise be possibly prevented.
In order to minimize potential stressors in a childs early development, emotional-focused
coping, which changes only the way we attend to or interpret what is happening, can be
utilized to redirect negative emotions (Lazarus 8). This technique is based on a childs
reinterpretation of a negative situation from a positive perspectiveto be able to reevaluate from

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a different mindset. For example, if a castle made up of blocks falls down unexpectedly after
being meticulously stacked by a young boy, the emotional response would be something akin to
anger, distress, and disappointment. If a parent encourages the child to view the situation
positively-- now he has the chance to play with his creativity and create a more elaborate and
unique structure-- the child will be taught not to jump to conclusions and create unnecessary
stress for himself. As time goes on, the child will have developed a strategy in reacting to highstress situations, responding calmly rather than impulsively. The early onset of appraisal,
determining the value of stress, ultimately allows the growing child to mediate his own emotions
and finally, his level of stress.
Although emotional coping is important, other strategies can also be taken into account in
order to decrease stress. One of such mechanisms is the manipulation of the environment in
which high stress levels are present. In a study focusing on the use of color in a dentistry setting,
it is discovered that yellow and blue produce positive emotions. While the color yellow is
associated with happiness, cheerfulness and a positive emotional state; the color blue is
associated with secure, calm, comforting; in contrast, the colors black and red show correlation
with negativity and depression (Umamaheshwari). Incorporating calming colors into a common
environment can reduce anxiety and may encourage a sense of tranquility. Meanwhile, colors
associated with negative emotions may trigger more depressing reactions and should be avoided.
Color theory has been mentioned numerous times in the designing of patient rooms and waiting
areas. Because certain colors tend to be associated with certain objects, for example yellow with
a smiling face, thorough consideration is taken before designating an area with a certain color
scheme. Although personal homes are not typically areas of high stress levels, maintaining a
calming environment through color is a way to potentially nurture a milder personality. While
stress levels are difficult to physically lower and control on a daily basis, certain processes can be

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taken in order to control stress and encourage positive emotional responses, decreasing stress
over a period of time.
No matter the age, adults continuously refer to the characteristics of their childhood
selves. From infancy to adolescence, children are constantly constructing a foundation upon
which they assemble their personality, character, and knowledge. While some stressors like
eustress are developed positively and benefits the body, distress disrupts bodily functions and
interrupts healthy stress-regulatory development. The most important time period for mental
development occurs in young children and creates a basis that follows the child through to
adulthood and old age. As Shelley E. Taylor states in her research, children becomes
increasingly sophisticated in ways that provide finely tuned information about both the
threatening and the comforting aspects of the world as they age (1366). This early establishment
is rarely augmented; therefore, parents should take advantage of the situation and mediate their
childrens emotional expression in order to decrease potential stress levels in the future. While
stressors affect each child differently, responding in a positive manner tends to strengthen stressregulation and anger management. Due to the psychological nature of this topic, it is not
guaranteed that stress will be redirected just because emotions were managed. Every child
responds differently and no method to reduce stress is ever universal. Reflecting back to the child
who cried uncontrollably in the clinic, although he was under the same stressors as all the other
patients, his single emotional response was different. It can be assumed that the child would not
have reacted so violently and angrily had he redirected his negative emotions. Similarly, children
of all ages can benefit from managing their emotions and calmly assessing situations before
rashly making a decision. Managing emotions through positive mindsets, color and emotional
regulation at an early age forges stronger stress-regulatory systems and reduces an individuals
chances of heart disease and long-term psychological consequences. Most importantly, reducing

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stress helps to promote healthier lifestyles that nurture children to a better, more optimistic
future.

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Works Cited
Children Ciarrochi, Joseph, Frank P. Deane, and Stephen Anderson. "Emotional Intelligence
Moderates the Relationship between Stress and Mental Health." Personality and
Individual Differences 32.2 (2002): 197-209. Print.

Delongis, Anita, Susan Folkman, and Richard S. Lazarus. "The Impact of Daily Stress on Health
and Mood: Psychological and Social Resources as Mediators." Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology 54.3 (1988): 486-95. Print.

Lazarus, R. S. "From Psychological Stress to the Emotions: A History of Changing Outlooks."

Annual Review of Psychology 44.1 (1993): 1-21. Print.

Miller, Diane B., and James P. O'callaghan. "Neuroendocrine Aspects of the Response to
Stress." Metabolism 51.6 (2002): 5-10. Print.

Taylor, Shelley E., Jennifer S. Lerner, Rebecca M. Sage, Barbara J. Lehman, and Teresa E.
Seeman. "Emotions, Stress, and Health." Journal of Personality 72.6 (2004): 1365-393.
Print.

Umamaheshwari, N., Sharath Asokan, and Kumaran S. Kumaran. "Child Friendly Colors in a
Pediatric Dental Practice." Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive
Dentistry 31.4 (2013): 225-28. Print.